Cleveland Leads Chicago Early In The First Game -- October 25, 2016

Updates

Later, 10:35 p.m. Central Time: it's over. Bottom of the 8th -- Cleveland, 6 - Chicago, 0. 

Later, 9:37 p.m. Central Time: top of the 7th - Cubs with bases "loaded," no outs, and behind 3 - 0. Did not capitalize.

Later, 9:17 p.m. Central Time: Chicago needed to pull this pitcher about four innings ago.

Original Post

 

A reader noted that I had not posted a note about, perhaps the most important event this year, namely that the Chicago Cubs are once again in the World Series. This is their second consecutive century in which they have made it to the "big game." They did it in the 20th century, and here they are again, early in the 21st century. Halley's Comet comes to mind. Although, I guess even Halley's Comet comes around more often than the Cubs making it to the World Series.

The reader assumed I did not like baseball.

That would be correct.

Well, not entirely correct. It's not that I don't like baseball, it's just that on my list of things to follow each day, MLB is about #45, just below the garage bands in Portland, OR, and generally, on any given day, I don't get past #3 or #4 on my list of things that interest me.

It has not always been like that.

I have two fond memories.

#1. The Minnesota Twins.

In high school, I think it's safe to say that my favorite class was chemistry in my junior year, 11th grade, and my favorite teacher was Mr Ceglowski. The district superintendent and school principal had strict rules and regulations about students and homework and classwork and the World Series. Mr Ceglowski was the only teacher that I know in the entire Williston public school system who would bring a huge television set into his classroom and turn on the World Series. And to make sure he wasn't breaking any rule or regulation he put the volume on "mute" and continued to teach about atomic shells and subshells, and barbell-shaped orbits and the periodic table. No teacher could be more cool than that. And, yes, of course, it was the Minnesota Twins.

Let's see. 1967 - 1969, what were the Minnesota Twins doing? Here it is.

My closest friend, every bit a BFF, is a huge Minnesota Twins fan. He was also a great catcher in those days in Williston, playing for various Little League teams. I also played, but it was not a pleasant memory. It was not an unpleasant memory, either. I never understood batting averages but that's probably because mine was 0.000 and I didn't understand why you needed three digits after the decimal to record a batting average. No matter how you rounded 0.000 it was still 0%.

#2. Los Angeles Dodgers.

When I was in graduate school, my future in-laws lived in San Pedro, CA, south Los Angeles, and they loved the Dodgers. The high point of many summers was a ride in the open-air "jeep" to Dodger Stadium to watch the home team. Wow, I had never been to an MLB game before and this simply blew me away. The view from the outdoor stadium is spectacular; the weather was spectacular.

#3. Boston Red Sox. Okay, I said I only had two fond memories of MLB, but I guess I had several more. Years ago when "dating" a Boston woman -- the "love of my life" -- I went to my first (and only) Boston Red Sox game while she was at work. The Boston stadium is downtown and it's a "walk-up" stadium. I couldn't believe it. I walked from the Back Bay in Boston to the Red Sox stadium and I bet I paid not more than $5 for a seat. As far as I recall, the "love of my life" was not a fan of baseball. For her, the closest thing that came to "baseball" was ballroom dancing.

#4. Texas Rangers. This will be the last. Every summer, my son-in-law gets us tickets to the "all-you-can-eat" corner the Texas Rangers stadium here in Arlington, TX. The stadium is about 15 minutes down the road; the parking is neighborhood parking, practically. A short walk to the stadium, and then up to "all-you-can-eat" corner -- the price of admission includes unlimited food at that location: hot dogs, popcorn, nachos, everything. The only thing one pays for is the beverage. Although some beverages may be free. I forget.

I don't watch baseball during the regular season, but that's true for all sports, except NASCAR. But in the playoffs and the championship season, I tend to watch everything.

So, yes, I will be watching the Cubs and the Indians. Right now, 0 - 2, Cleveland ahead in the second inning.